Your laptop doesn't seem to be in the den

The answer is c, but considering d, "would" sometimes can be presumption even without if-clause like "My friend is going to a party, and it would be fun."
Why can't d be an answer? Or did they make it wrong?

A: Your laptop doesn't seem to be in the den.
B:My sister ___c___ be using it in the kitchen.
a.will
b.need
c.must
d.would

a and c ar possible. d is possible only in the unlikely sense of annoyance that this (unreasonable) behaviour is typical of the sister; 'would' would be stressed in that sense.

5jj said:

a and c ar possible. c is possible only in the unlikely sense of annoyance that this (unreasonable) behaviour is typical of the sister; 'would' would be stressed in that sense.

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You mean a.will and c.must are possible, but d.would is possible only in the unlikely sense? So I think you mistyped d for c.

keannu said:

You mean a.will and c.must are possible, but d.would is possible only in the unlikely sense? So I think you mistyped d for c.

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Sorrry. I have changed it.

5jj said:

Sorrry. I have changed it.

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Sorry, but how can I tell the nuance difference between simple presumption like "The party would be fun" and abnormal behavior of "The sister would be in the den"?
I thought "would" is just presumption without any degree of intensity if I don't mistunderstand your explanation.

Part of the idea of your 'the party would be fun' is 'to be there' - i.e., 'if I were to be there'. When speaking about the whereabouts of the computer and the sister, 'will' expresses certainty, 'must' logical deduction' (you have even got me labelling!). 'Would' is not natural in this situation.

5jj said:

Part of the idea of your 'the party would be fun' is 'to be there' - i.e., 'if I were to be there'. When speaking about the whereabouts of the computer and the sister, 'will' expresses certainty, 'must' logical deduction' (you have even got me labelling!). 'Would' is not natural in this situation.

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I haven't completely understood the meaning of "would" here. My American friend once wrote to me saying "I think you work for a company in Korea, it would be fun." He seemed to mean that it may be fun not for him, but for me. I couldn't infer any conditional part related to him in there. And in many other would clauses, maybe I may have made a mistake not inferring conditional mood.
I'm sorry, is the sentence like "If it were my sister, she would be using it in the kitchen"? I still don't understand why it sounds unnatural, finding no way to explain to others.

I think after articles, the word "would" might be the hardest word to explain.

What's that noise?
Oh, that would be John again, practicing his drum solo.

-- Here would is used in a way that is similary to "that's must be John" but to express annoyance, as 5jj says.



I would think (ha, there it is again, and I didn't even mean to use it on purpose there) that your friend meant it would be fun for HIM to work there with you, if you were already working there. Of course, his comma splice tells me he may not pay attention to the finer rules of grammar, so who knows.

If I worked there, it would be fun.

Barb_D said:

I think after articles, the word "would" might be the hardest word to explain.

What's that noise?
Oh, that would be John again, practicing his drum solo.

-- Here would is used in a way that is similary to "that's must be John" but to express annoyance, as 5jj says.



I would think (ha, there it is again, and I didn't even mean to use it on purpose there) that your friend meant it would be fun for HIM to work there with you, if you were already working there. Of course, his comma splice tells me he may not pay attention to the finer rules of grammar, so who knows.

If I worked there, it would be fun.

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Does "would" always have a hidden or implicit if-clause even when if-clause doesn't appear? Does it always have conditional moods? I just thought it is similar to "may" or "might" for presumption, and in the past, I studied a lot of conditional moods, but I came to ignore it as it's confusing to tell if-clause's "would" and without if-clause "would", Judging from what you said, "would" always seems to accompany conditional part.

ex)We are having a party tomorroow. He would come(=If it were him, he would come)
I just thought "He would come" is just similar to "He may come".

Okay, I think you will approve of my rediscovering idea of "would", but is the annoyance case-specific? In my friend's "It would be fun", that doesn't give any annoyoing nuance. So does the context of the sister's whereabout in the kitchen give such irritating nuance? I can't find any clue to the annoyance.

keannu said:

Does "would" always have a hidden or implicit if-clause even when if-clause doesn't appear? No
Does it always have conditional moods? No

Judging from what you said, "would" always seems to accompany conditional part. No

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I'll start my reponse with Barb's words "I think after articles, the word "would" might be the hardest word to explain."

On second thought, I'll end there.